Horse-blanket strap



(No Model.)

A. P. RUSSELL. HORSE BLANKET STRAP.

No. 500,619. Patented July l, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVA P. RUSSELL, OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN.

HORSE-BLANKET STRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,619, dated July 4,1893. Application filed March 7, 1893. Serial No. 464,981. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALVA P. RUssELL, a c t zen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Janesville, in the county of Rock and State of'Wisconsin, have invented certam new and useful Improvements in BlanketStraps or Girths, of which the following is a specification.

In the use of straps or bands for securing blankets or saddles tohorses, or fastening bundles, it is often desirable to have a greaterrange of adjustment than that afforded by ordinary buckle-and-tongue-straps at the ends of the web or band proper, as a band suitable for onepurpose, and having by means of its tongue-strap a reasonable range ofadjust ment for that purpose, will be too long or too short for adifferent purpose, or for the same purpose under differentcircumstances. In my invention I propose to remedy this difficulty byapplying to the web or hand, between Its ends, a perforated strap laidthereon and secured thereto as to its own proper ends, so that, when theband is stretched out to its full extent, the two may lie flat together,and in connection therewith applying to the band, adjacent to its endand preferably at the root of the tongue or strap, an incurved hookadapted to take into any one of the perforations in the body-strap, asit may be termed, or that one lying flat-wise along the length of theband, so that by doubling back the band upon the web, this hook mayserve to lengthen or shorten it by connecting it with one or the otherof such perforations.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents, in perspective, a blanketstrapembodying my invention and buckled together at its full length. Fig. 2is a like perspective view of said strap, folded back upon itself andshortened; and Fig. 3 is a plan thereof from the outer side.

A represents a broad band or web having attached to one end thebuckle-strap, B, and buckle, B; and to the other end the tonguestrap, C,with its perforations, 0, whereby the band or girth may be adjustedabout the body or bundle it encircles. The range of adj ustment afiordedby the buckle or tongue-strap is limited by the ends of the web so thatunless the body it encircles is of such small size that it may be woundtwice, or oftener, thereabout, it cannot be placed upon anythingsmaller. In order to render this band or girth adjustable in length,independent of the ad justment afiorded by the tongue-strap, aperforated strap, D, is laid longitudially of the body of said band andattached thereto at each end so that the two will lie flat together andthat a length of the band will be embraced preferably exactly equal tothe length of the strap and actually not more than equal to such length,otherwise the band or girth will crinkle beneath it when applied. Thisstrap has a series of perforations, d, adapted to be engaged by a catch,E, attached to the adjustable end of the strap,for instance, that end towhich the tongue-strap is applied, and for the purpose of so securingthe catch to the girth or surcingle, it may be formed with a loop, 6,which is slipped over the tongue-strap and secured by stitching to theroot thereof, so that it acts as a chape. The end of this catch isformed into a hook, e, toward the surface of the band, and when idle itlies loosely thcreagainst, as in Fig. 1, but when it is to be used toshorten the band, the latter is bent back or folded upon itself, as inFig. 2, and the hook is engaged with any one of theseries ofperforations in the body-strap or shortening strap. By this means thegirth can be shortened to any desirable length, leaving the range ofadjustment afiorded by the tongue-strap and buckle-strap unaffected, andwhen shortened will lie flat and smooth against the body embraced,without wrinkling or lumping, the backward fold of the web, in fact,lying under the ton gue-strap and cushioning the latter in suchadjustment.

I do not intend to limit myself to the precise form of the hook orengaging device by which to shorten the strap or to its precise locationupon the web or band, nor to the means hereinbefore set forth ofattaching it to said girth, but

What I do claim is- The band having a buckle at one end, a tongue-strapat the other, a body-strap applied along its length and secured at eachend, and a catch provided with an insetting hook to take into thebody-strap, and located adjacent to one end of said band.

ALVA P. RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM G. WHEELER, CHARLIE M. RUSSELL.

